


Rebound Girl

by Diana_Flynn



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 12:55:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3978847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diana_Flynn/pseuds/Diana_Flynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss Everdeen only goes for only one type of man. It doesn’t matter how tall he is, the color of his hair, or even his personality. What she wants is the man fresh out of a relationship. She likes being that temporary girl the guy uses to lick the wounds of his bruised heart. Too bad Peeta Mellark changes everything for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rebound Girl

**Author's Note:**

> For Prompts in Panem - April 2015, Day 7 Thorns

Katniss wiped the counter for what felt like the millionth time, leaving the oak shiny and spotless. She rested her heavy head on her hand, ready to put it completely down on the counter if it wasn't for her boss Haymitch staring her down from the bar entrance. God she was so bored. Bored and tired. And she might as well add horney to that list as well since it had been awhile, a very long while. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket, giving her a blessed distraction, and she took a peek at it while Haymitch was occupied looking at ID’s of a group of guys coming in.

"Check out the hotties coming in Kat, maybe this night will finally get interesting," her bar partner in crime Johanna said nudging her elbow. But she was too busy frowning at her phone, which her mischievous friend immediately caught on to.

"Hey who's that? Another crushed heart pleading for you to take him back?" she said coyly with a bump to her hip.

"I don't even know what you are talking about," she said finally looking up and shoving the phone in her pocket. "The guys I date never leave unsatisfied. In fact it's the opposite."

Johanna snorted at that and plucked the phone from her back pocket and unlocked it before Katniss could do anything about it. "I miss you Kat. You showed me life could go on, and I would like to try with you," she read out dryly. 

"See, he's ready to start over again. With someone else, not me. I’ve done all I could.” Her hands trying to grab back her phone.

"God Kat, you should hear yourself," she said, finally throwing her back her phone. "You’re a broken record. Or rather a record on an unending loop. Guy comes into bar sad and mopey because of a breakup. You have a listening ear and then a warm snatch to comfort him. You give him for two weeks, three weeks top, then you dump him, saying he's better off because now he's ready to move on. Why the hell do you take so much pleasure in being the rebound girl?"

She is not incorrect, and this isn’t the first time she’s asked Katniss this question, so she just shrugged her shoulders. “I get all the benefits of a committed man without the long term hazards I guess,” Katniss eventually ended up answering. 

Johanna snorted and slapped her on the ass with her gross wet bar towel. “You’re fucked up, you know that Brainless? One night stands are much easier,” she said laughing at her friend. 

Katniss was just winding up with her response when four men walked over to the bar, and settled in on Johanna’s side. Three of them were cheery and upbeat but the last one looked like a kicked puppy. Katniss could feel her heart thump irregularly at the sight of him. His broad strong shoulders were bowed over in defeat, hands hanging limply between his thick thighs, his strong jaw gripped and loosened, while his messy blonde hair fell over his eyes. But she reluctantly turned away from this sad beautiful man as she got a request from one of her regulars for a Newcastle, while Johanna asked what they wanted. 

From the corner of her eye she could see Johanna lean over to get their order, making sure they got a good view of her generous cleavage in the process. One guy with bright red hair clapped the sad blond on the shoulder, but it started to get loud and busy, so she was disappointed she couldn't hear what was being said. She shook her head and turned back to work, but Johanna’s voice rang out loud and clear.

“Well I think that’s more Katniss’ territory. Katniss can you come over here and help me out?” 

“What do you need?” She asked, walking over and stuffing her rag in her back pocket. She looked at all of them expectantly, Johanna a sly smile on her face. The other jovial men looked completely incongruous to their sad friend. He looked up at Katniss, and she felt like she'd been knocked back even though she hadn't moved a millimeter. His eyes, even in this dim light were an incredible intense blue. The sadness in them tore her apart to her inner core and all she wanted to do was envelop him in her arms and tell him everything was going to be okay. But she noticed he sat up a little bit straighter as they stared at each other. There was something familiar about him that Katniss couldn't place. His eyes almost gleamed with recognition, maybe he knew where they'd seen each other. 

“My man here just got dumped by his girlfriend, and we are trying to get him out of his pity party,” said the ginger, shaking his shoulder. “So we are here looking for lots of alcohol and find something to make him smile again.” 

“What’s your name? And what’s your poison?” Katniss asked him, completely ignoring his friends.

He licked his lips like he hadn’t spoken in ages. “My name is Peeta and I like whiskey straight,” he answered in a gravelly voice. 

Katniss lifted her eyebrow at him, and she saw a soft smile develop on the corner of his lips. She plopped a glass in front of him, and poured him a double of Makers. “Well I definitely can help with the alcohol. Drinks are on the house tonight. The rest is up to you.” 

 

Day One_________________________

Katniss stretched out in her queen bed, the tendrils of sleep leaving her as the sun hit her face. Her bed was too soft and warm to leave, so she dug her head further into the pillow, but then she realized something was missing, or rather someone. She lifted her head to see a sizeable dent in the pillow next to her, covers folded over indicating that someone had left. 

Now she was really wide awake, realizing that Peeta was gone. She peered over the bed, and the clothes that were flung all over the place where only hers, none of his remained. She kept a sharp ear out but heard nothing so she finally gave up and climbed out of bed, her foot discovering that he left his button down shirt at the edge of the bed. She decided to put it on, and lifted the collar to smell it, enjoy the musk that remained. 

She felt sore and achy from the acrobatics of last night and shivered from the cold of her vast loft apartment. Katniss was pleased to learn he was a wrestler in high school and he put his quick reflexes, and intricate pin maneuvers to good use last night. The smile on her lips as she remembered the moment he had her knees by her head faded as she realized he was nowhere to be seen. Her growing hunger was also gone as she looked through the empty room. He was a ditcher. It's not like that didn't happen before by the men she took home, but this one in particular she was hoping she’d have the full time before he got over his grief, and over her. She looked down at his shirt on her body and realized with a sinking heart he probably left so fast he didn’t even grab his shirt.

Katniss tried to shake off her disappointment as she pulled out the coffee beans for much needed caffeine, when her front door opened revealing a sheepish looking Peeta. Her mouth quirked at the site of him, his hair more wild than the night before. That's probably because he hadn't fixed it since she ran her hands through it. She didn’t think there was a sexier sight. His white tank top tight on his body, his dark wash jeans looking even better in the light, and in his hands was a tray of coffee and a bag filled with pastry. 

"Hi Katniss, put down that cheap coffee you got there this instant," he demanded pointing at what was in her hand. She did as he said and turned back to him, leaning on the counter

"I thought you weren't coming back," she answered in confusion, wincing at the vulnerability of her statement.

His eyes widen in realization and he shook his head vigorously, before taking long confident steps towards her. He plopped the bag and tray next to her before his arms leaned on the counter on either side of her body, effectively trapping her. 

"There was no food in your house so I thought I'd get us some pastries. I kind of wore you out last night so it's the least I could do." His eyes are heated and voice rough but sweet with promise of more to come. Her eyes widened at the complete turnaround he had made from the meek defeated mouse she had initially met last night. 

It took a second shot, and his friends moving over to the pool table before he started talking to her. He didn’t leave the bar all night, taking up all her attention, and she was only slightly ashamed that Johanna did most of the pouring that night. Haymitch glared her way but never said anything, which was surprising. Peeta stayed patiently by her side the entire evening, barely noticing when his friends left and even helped Johanna and her to clean up. But he had an ulterior motive because they barely made it to her apartment above the bar before she was pinned against the door, his hand desperately pulling aside her panties. But then again, the eye-fucking and flirty talk between them had them both worked up. So as he tore down her underwear she was urgently pulling down the zipper of his pants. This sweet, smart, intriguing man turned her on faster than any other man had in her life and she was not going to let this opportunity pass her by. 

"Well what did you get me?" Katniss asked demurely, moving her hands to the top of his shoulders so that she could feel the muscles twitch underneath his skin. 

"A couple of cheese buns, chocolate croissant, blueberry danish and a quiche from Mellarks. Oh, and two Americanos." 

She looked up at the clock and saw that it said 10:30 a.m. "How did you manage to do that? If there isn't a line wrapped around the corner, it's because they ran out of baked goods." He blushed, but there was a look of pride on his face too. 

"I took the back entrance. I kind of own the place. Last names Mellark since you didn't exactly ask last night." 

"Peeta Mellark," she said softly to herself more than to him. "Now I remember, I saw you a couple of times enter the bakery. I thought I recognized you somewhere.” 

She looked up into those hypnotic eyes and pulled him closer until she could feel his heat press against her upper thigh. "Well I certainly recognized you," was his reply. 

Food might just have to wait. "It's nice to meet you Peeta Mellark. The last name is Everdeen."

"It's nice to finally meet you Katniss Everdeen," he whispered against her lips before he hiked her up on the counter, his hand sliding up her inner thigh where he found that she had no underwear on. His thick fingers quickly found clit and entrance, as her tongue found his open ready mouth. She was quickly on her way to her first orgasm of the day. And the way he could keeping going, she knew it won't be her last. 

“I want my shirt back,” was the last thing she heard before her body succumbed to his nimble fingers.

 

Day 10 _______________________________

"Shit, right there Peeta. Don't stop." 

Katniss' toes curled into her cool sheets, her hands gripping the headboard as her knees clamped around Peeta’s head. Those blonde curls bobbed up and down between her thighs as his tongue vigorously worked over her clit while his fingers plundered her from the inside. He was so good at this, just like everything else he did to her. He was the best she ever had, always eager to make her come multiple times before he even took care of his own pleasure. 

"Ungh..." was the only thing she was able to voice as she reached her climax, releasing the bed with one hand so she could tug his hair harshly. Her breath was hard and fast as she floated down from the Nirvana he had taken her. When she finally opened her eyes, mesmerizing clear blue eyes stared back at her. His chin rested on her abdomen and he had a content look on his face as a smile played on his lips. It was hard to believe he was the same man with the defeated posture and sad eyes she had seen over a week ago and she couldn't help the tiny bit of pride that bubbled with the knowledge that she did that.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked him. He shrugged, and a hand moved up so his still glistening index finger could create figure eights around her belly button, making her giggle. 

"It's just that, it's funny that we were virtually a block and a half away from each other and never met I guess. I feel like I’ve wasted my time. That I was meant to meet you,” he answered. She hid the wobble of her own smile at his words. He didn’t know that she heard men say something essentially like that before. Mostly because they kept trying to tell themselves they didn’t need the person they just lost. It had only been a week since she had seen him so devastated. A person didn’t get over a love like that so easily. 

But she pushed these thoughts aside, and pulled at his shoulders indicating that he move up so that they could align their bodies. His smile widened as he enveloped her in his arms, their legs twining and his heavy ready member resting on her thigh, although he seemed in no hurry to take care of it. 

She ran her fingers through his hair and nuzzled his nose for a moment, enjoying his soft breath on hers. “Peeta you’re nursing a broken heart,” she said gently. 

He rolled on to his back and clutched her hand to his chest as he looked up at the ceiling rafters. “It’s hard to imagine that right now, being with you,” he answered. 

“Well, of course, because you are naked in bed with me,” she said tweaking his side. When he turned his head to look back at her she continued. “How long has it been since the break-up?”

“A month now, just about. But I spent most of that time alone, not telling anyone. I felt like such a fool. The guys only just found out the day they dragged me to your bar.”

“Wow. A month,” she said more to herself than to him. She had been with guys who had less than that time under their belt before hooking up with her, but for some reason it made her more sad. She realized how unready he was to be in a committed relationship again. There was no way it could continue past a couple of weeks, like usual. She mentally shook it off and tried to remind herself that this is how it always was. But god she would miss curling up with him in her bed, just like this. And he had been there almost every night after she got off of work, a bag of pastries in hand, saying he would catch up on sleep once he got off of work in the afternoon. Always kissing her on the forehead before he softly snuck away in the wee hours of the morning. She shivered at that because by next week he wouldn’t be in her bed anymore. 

“Are you cold? Do you want me to turn on the heater?” he asked, rubbing her arm, and she curled tighter into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Oh please don’t do that. That heater spits out more dust than heat.” 

“I can fix that for you. I have some experience in that sort of thing, didn’t you know?” 

“Oh Really?” she asked, looking up at him, and took in the pride on his face. “Well, how am I ever going to repay you?”

He flipped Katniss on her back and hiked one leg up to open her up wide for him. “Oh I can think of a few ways.”

She reached down took hold of his rigid cock, sliding her hand up and down while she lined him up. “Well, I guess I better give you a down payment,” she said. It was easier after that to forget her growing unhappiness. 

 

Day 21 _________________________________________

Katniss was laughing at a tired joke one of her regulars was telling when she could feel it, the eyes boring into the back of her head. She turned around cautiously, prepared for whatever words that were going to be thrown her way and the usual scowl returned to her face. 

“What are you looking at?” she asked curtly. 

“You, laughing, at a lame joke you’ve heard a hundred times before,” said Johanna peering at her friend suspiciously. 

“So?” she asked, collecting tips on the bar to give her something to do. 

“So… Katniss Everdeen never humors people. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you laugh once. Your happy about something.”

“Gee, you make it sound like a bad thing,” Katniss answered, rolling her eyes. 

“Of course it isn’t! I just want to know what’s your deal,” Johanna prodded further.

“There is no deal Johanna, so you can leave it.” Katniss was about to say more but instantly got distracted when she saw a familiar blonde mop of hair enter the door. 

“Hey beautiful,” Peeta said, sliding into a stool across from her. Her smile became large and goofy as his was, happy at the unexpected surprise. 

“What are you doing here. Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” she asked leaning over the bar to give him a peck on her lips. The tingle his lips gave her was as strong as the first time she tasted him. 

“Well since you have the day off tomorrow, I thought I’d let my very capable staff take care of the bakery, so I can sleep in with you and after sleeping in for a bit, I can finally fix your heater like I promised.”

“Well isn’t this my lucky night then isn’t it?” They saw each other every day but their schedules were so opposite of each other, that the only time they managed to really see each other lately was after he got off of work in the afternoon. They would have a few hours, mostly having sex, then he would make her dinner before she went off to work. It was nice, but she was looking forward to just hanging out with him in bed, having nowhere to go. 

“Katniss can you help me bring some bottles from the back for a moment?” She turned around finding Johanna with curious but also serious expression in her eyes. She nodded and let go of the hand she didn’t realize she was holding. But he caught her hand again, and pulled her to lean over the bar. His other hand came up to the nape of her neck, and he leaned forward until their lips crushed together. Her lips smiled in the kiss, breaking the heat for a moment, but then she opened her mouth to suck his tongue into her mouth briefly forgetting the world around them. He finally released her and her cheeks blushed prettily at the promising look on his face. 

“What was that for?” she asked. 

“I didn’t want to wait until you got off of work I guess,” he answered, shrugging. She just shook her head and turned away, following Johanna into the back. 

“I didn’t know you were still seeing that guy,” Johanna practically accused once they entered the room. 

“What business is it of yours Johanna?” Katniss lashed back in a harsh whisper. 

“Isn’t that boy past your expiration date?”

“What are you even talking about?” she answered, rubbing her temple. Some days she felt like Johanna made it a sport of testing her. 

“The one who is just over the moon for you. The one who just got out of a long term relationship. The one that YOU are so over the moon for, it’s actually making you a pleasant person to be around.”

“Johanna, what are you even going on about?!” She asked maybe a little too loudly in frustration. So she took a breath and continued. “I mean, sure he’s the guy. And he’ll be around a week or so, but he’s feeling so good he’ll be moving on soon to better things.”

“That’s what I’m trying to get at Brainless,” she said, sounding more exasperated than she had ever in her life. “Do you really want him to move on? You look happy. Really happy. But the point is that you’ve set yourself up for failure, again. Why do you keep doing that to yourself?”

“Like you’re one to talk Johanna! You have a long list of one night stands. At least I’m making guys feel better so they can move on with their lives. I don’t owe them anything beyond that. And I don’t owe you a further explanation.” Katniss had enough and she was ready to bolt from that suffocating room.

Johanna looked like she was going to say more, but the door banged open with a very irate Haymitch at the entrance. “What the fuck are you both doing here? Get out there and serve some damn customers!”

“Fine by me,” Katniss replied, grabbing some more bottles of liquor and pushing past him. 

Katniss instantly regretted going back to the front room to see Peeta standing there. His grim face was pale and he looked like he was ready to vomit at any moment. 

“Is it true?”

“What’s true?” she said in a warbly voice. 

“That I’m past my expiration date? That I’m just something for you to fix? That this was never intended to last?” As the words poured from his mouth, this voice grew in intensity, and the whole bar seemed to focus on them. 

“Peeta, you have to see…”

“No. Stop right there,” he said putting up his hand, effectively silencing her. “I think that’s all the explanation I need from you.” With that he turned on his heel and pushed harshly out the front doors. She stood there frozen for a good moment until Haymitch gently pulled the bottles from her arms. She didn’t look at either her friend or her boss as she asked a patron what he wanted. But 30 minutes later and a third broken glass, Haymitch sent her home where she immediately buried herself under her covers without undressing and let the tears pour out that she’d been holding all night. 

 

Day 28 _________________________________

Katniss groaned at the persistent knocking at her door. She had ignored it for a good ten minutes, but whoever it was on the other side refused to stop. She knew it wasn’t Peeta. She hadn’t heard a peep from him since he left the bar. He ignored all her calls and she was too afraid to see him in person. She kept trying to tell herself that it was best this way, but it didn’t seem to work. Their relationship did have an expiration date. Now now she couldn’t stop asking herself why she always did that to herself and she was running out of excuses. 

There was finally silence on the other side of the door, and she breathed out in relief. Then there was a decidedly louder thunk, which sounded more like a heavy boot hitting the door. God, it could only be one person. 

“Fine, I’m coming!” She yelled out wrapping herself in her old terry cloth robe. She shuffled to the door, grumbling to herself how her damn place would never get heat before she roughly opened the door. There stood Johanna with an angry if relieved look on her face, foot posed to kick her door again. 

“What do you want Johanna?” she said tiredly before turning around and made her way to her couch which she promptly plopped on, dragging a blanket onto herself. 

Johanna sat next to her and put a bag in front of them. She pulled out beer, ice cream, doritos, a pile of chocolate bars and a sub sandwich. 

“I came to make sure you weren’t wasting away in here while you were feeling sorry for yourself,” Johanna said as she started to unwrap the food. “And Haymitch paid for all this. He says that you need to get your ass back down to work tonight or else he’s going to fire you.” 

Katniss just blinked at her. She knew Haymitch wasn’t going to fire her. He’d been looking after her and her sister Prim since high school when their parents died. Whatever grumbling he did, he wouldn’t stop now. Saying he’d fire her was code from Haymitch that he was worried about her. She’d have to give him shit about it later. 

“Katniss could you just stop staring at me like that? Really, are you okay? I didn’t mean for that Peeta guy to break up with you. If I had known that he could hear us...” Her words trailed off and there was real concern in the softness of her voice, snapping Katniss out of her cloud. 

She sighed and reached out for one of the beers, grabbing Jo’s keys and using the churchkey on it to pop the cap. “It’s not your fault Johanna and you know it,” she said before taking a big chug of beer and slumping further into the couch. “You were right. I set myself up for failure since the beginning by telling myself that my actions were being helpful.”

“Okay brainless, for once don’t lie to me or yourself. Why do you do it? Why do you like to be the rebound girl all the time?”

Katniss stared at the beading perspiration of her beer bottle and played with the edge of the label, thinking on her past. Finally she said, “It’s not very original, a broken heart and all that shit. This boy in college named Finnick. I had a crush on him for the longest time, he was so charming but he had a girlfriend. But when she broke up with him I was there for him, comforted him, and we eventually hooked up. I was so happy. I thought that this was it. I wanted to give him the world. But a month later he broke up with me. When he saw my crushed face, he said ‘I thought you knew it was just a rebound relationship.’ I lied and said of course I knew. He started dating a girl named Annie soon afterwards. They’re married now, a kid on the way.”

Johanna grabbed her own beer at that, taking a swig of her own. “Shit,” she said. 

Katniss gave a dry humorless laugh. “I know. I always felt like I owed him my happiness when we were together and I felt robbed when he took it away. I convinced myself that he owed ME. That I gave him something to be able to move on. And that’s it. No more owing a guy for loving me. It was them who owed me for giving them something back.” 

She hadn’t cried since the day Peeta left but there she was again, crying. This time because she felt like a fool, lying to herself all those years. Johanna put her bottle down and enveloped her in her thin strong arms, stroking her hair as her friend let it all out. 

“God, I’m such a mess,” Katniss finally managed to say wiping her runny nose on her sleeve.

“Yeah, and you stink too. At first I thought I was looking at a crazy cat lady when you opened the door. Come on, eat your junk food and then take a bath so I can get you to work.”

Katniss laughed, feeling a little lighter, and grabbed the sandwich. She was hungry and she couldn’t remember when was the last time she ate. 

“Fine Johanna. Anything to keep you and Haymitch happy.”

“Damn straight,” her friend answered back.

Day 36 ________________________________

It was almost the end of the shift when Katniss noticed them. She was loading glasses onto a tray to put into the dishwasher when she could see a couple arguing outside the door. Not any couple either. It was Peeta a blonde girl. She was pointing at the bar and he was trying to pull her away. God, had he found another girl already? Did she push him back to his ex and she was ready to kick her ass? 

“Oh shit’s going down tonight,” Johanna said next to her looking in the same direction where the action was taking place. 

“Johanna, can you do me a favor and if anybody asks if I’m here, tell them I quit and you don’t know where I am.” 

Not waiting for an answer she promptly went to the back room, tray and all. Just as she realized it was still in her hands, and plopped it on Haymitch’s desk, she could hear the distinct sound of a girls shrill voice. ‘Where is she! Where is Katniss Everdeen, I know she works here!”

“Delly, stop this, please…” she could hear Peeta pleading. God, she missed his voice. 

“Oh she’s in the back, here let me show you,” Johanna said, loud and clear for her to hear. There was no other door. She was trapped. Fucking Johanna. 

The door burst open, and a busty blonde in a cute pink floral dress with a white cashmere sweater came through it. She looked like an adorable angry bunny, but then she remembered Monty Python’s Holy Grail and decided she was definitely scared of angry bunnies. 

“Can I help you?” she asked in a voice that warbled. 

“Are you Katniss Everdeen?” she accused, and Katniss meekly nodded her head. 

“I came to give you a piece of my mind. How dare you use Peeta like you did! He was hurting and you took his already broken heart and crushed it. We all hated that bitch he was with, but we didn’t want him to leave just to get hurt by a bigger bitch! He can barely function now because of you. How dare you, how could you… just…argh, you’re a terrible person!” The woman was so angry she barely sounded coherent at the end, but she got her point across. 

God, she was a terrible person, Katniss thought. So for the third time in two weeks the girl who never let herself cry burst into tears. “I’m so sorry. I’m am a terrible person. I didn’t mean to hurt Peeta. He’s so woooonderfulll….” she sobbed. “He’s the best person I’ve ever met.”

She turned her back on the horrified face of the girl and pulled her shirt up so she could soak up the tears with it. She was so embarrassed and ashamed. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I was too strong wasn’t I? I didn’t mean to make you cry. Please don’t cry,” the girl regretfully said behind her. She felt a tentative hand on her shoulder and turned to see the remorseful face of the blonde. 

“Are… you… his new girlfriend?” Was Katniss’ shaky reply. 

“Oh god no! She said with an uncomfortable laugh. “We are just friends. Since we were kids actually. God, he’s like a brother to me. See, I’m married,” she said lifting her left hand to show her. 

Katniss let out a relieved chuckle, her tears finally subsiding. “I’m Delly by the way,” the woman said giving her a delicate lace handkerchief. 

“Thank you,” she whispered softly, taking it and blowing her nose loudly into the cloth, effectively ruining it. She tried to hand it back, but Delly shook her hand. “You can keep it,” she said with a kind smile. 

“Katniss, you love Peeta don’t you?” she asked gently.

Katniss felt like she was going to cry again at her question and her eyes welled up again, so she just nodded her head yes. 

“Well than you need to talk to him because I’ve never seen him so unhappy. Not even when that… person… dumped him. Please?”

All Katniss could do was nod her head and Delly turned around and promptly left. She could hear some muttering behind the door before Peeta came in. He looked sheepish and his eyes widened at her red blotchy face. They stared at each other for a moment before they both spoke at once. 

“I’m sorry!” they both said in unison.

“Why are you sorry?” they again said at the same time. This was exactly what was needed because it made them both chuckle and the unease hanging over them lifted a little, and Peeta stepped further into the room. 

“Can I speak first Katniss?” She nodded her head, and he stepped closer again until they were inches apart. He carefully pulled her to him until he wrapped his arms around her waist and she around her neck and he hugged her tightly. She took in the warmth of his body and the sweet musky scent he always exuded, relaxing into his embrace. She had missed him so much. The last two weeks were the longest of her life. 

“Katniss, I’m sorry,” he said into her neck. She pulled back ready to protest but he put his hand on her lips to stop her. “No, hear me out. I had a lot of time to think about what happened between us. Honestly it’s been the longest two weeks of my life. I shouldn’t have slept with you that first night. I was acting the jilted lover, ready for a body to comfort me. You didn’t know that when I came into your bar that I was sad because I realized how much time I had wasted on Glimmer. You didn’t know that I used to watch you cross in front of the bakery every day. And I had the biggest crush on you. You didn’t know that I felt like I finally won the lottery being with you. And most importantly I should have taken my time with you. Taken you on a date. Showed you how much you meant to me. That you were more than just the rebound girl.”

Katniss hugged him tightly again before pulling back to look into his eyes, his beautiful deep blue eyes. “Peeta I’m so sorry too. You are more to me than just someone to fix. I knew it the moment I met you, I just didn’t want to admit it myself. There is a lot about me I have to tell you. There is a lot for you to understand, but you’re right. We should have taken it slowly. I wish we dated like a normal couple because I don’t want this to be a short thing. I don’t want to be the rebound girl anymore. I want to be your girl. I think I’m falling in love with you.”

His eyes lit up at her words and he gave her the most perfect smile in the world. 

“That’s good, because I know I’m falling in love with you Katniss. I really didn’t know what that meant until I met you,” he said sincerely. 

She closed any space between them so she could give him a heated kiss. She moaned, opening her mouth to his insistent tongue, so happy to be tasting him again. Her mind went blank to everything except feeling his body under her fingertips again as she ran them up and down his shoulders. She let out a squeak when he suddenly pulled her up on the desk so that she could wrap her legs around him. 

“We should be taking this slow like we said,” he said pulling back, his breath heavy. 

She shook her head at him, not agreeing at all anymore to what they just said, moments before. “Slow is overrated. But I do have the day off tomorrow so I do expect you to take me out on a date somewhere nice.”

“Anything you want,” he said sucking on her neck.

“Or maybe the day after that if we get too lazy,” she let out in a husky sigh, as his hand moved to unbutton her pants. 

“Mmm hmm…” was his reply. There were no words spoken after that as they hurriedly released each other from the others pants. They didn’t even bother to take off their shirts, too concerned with being as one again. Katniss sighed in contentment as Peeta slid into her waiting warmth. Peeta growled in pleasure as he started pumping in and out of her. The desk banged heavily as he drove into Katniss, one hand on her hip the other groping her laced covered breast. She clutched at him tightly as her body was driven back by his forceful movements. So enraptured were they with each other they didn’t even notice when the tray of glasses crashed to the ground behind her. They both came seconds after that, yelling each others names to the heavens and shaking as rivulets of pleasure kept shooting through them. 

They gave each other goofy grins as they pulled up their pants and quickly brushed up the broken glass into a garbage bag. When they came out to the front of the bar, Katniss hid her head in Peeta’s should as everyone gave them cheers and whistles. Delly’s two finger whistle was particularly loud and very unlady like. She couldn’t even look at Johanna’s shit-eating grin. 

“Sweetheart, why don’t you get out of here so you can ‘reunite’ in private, okay,” Haymitch said, shaking his head at her. They didn’t have to be told twice. 

“But I expect both of you to be here after the bar closes to clean-up! I expect this place to be power washed!” He yelled at their retreating backs. 

She threw out a thumbs up, as they ran out the door, practically running to the side of the building to the stairs leading up to her apartment. Both were laughing like giddy children but groping like inappropriate adults, excited at what was to come next.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! You can find me on tumblr: dianaflynn22


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